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Google buys Nest. Will your thermostat now report back to Google?

Google just bought Nest, makers of smart thermostats and smoke detectors, for an absurd $3.2 billion. The Net thermostat is connected to the net, so it can be controlled remotely. It also learns from you and will automatically adjust settings, assuming you have a regular routine. If not, it may get confused.

This is all part of the coming inevitable Internet of Things Robert Scoble and Shel Israel talk about in The Age of Context. All sorts of devices will monitor us and report back to their mothership. A Google Nest thermostat will know when you are home and when you are away. So, presumably, will those who hack into it.

I don’t get why a company with two products sells for $3.2 billion, nor do I quite get why an expensive Net controlled thermostat is better than a programmable thermostat.

Nest and Google promise to be very very careful about using your data. Right. I totally believe them, how about you?

The announcement sparked much discussion across the web, as many joked about Google+ integration with Nest’s products and Google Ads showing up when you turn off your smoke alarm.